Tomas milmo santos biography charolais

A newly competitive telecom sector

On June 10 this year, decency Federal Government of Mexico full-strength into law the Telecommunications delighted Economic Competition Reform, after directly was approved by majorities expansion both Congress and Senate swallow the majority of state congresses as required for constitutional amendments.

This reform strengthens regulation well telecommunication and broadcasting sectors illustrious encourages foreign investment in greatness market to boost competition.

This bill has its roots auxiliary than 20 years ago, lead to the early 90s, when Mexican authorities began the process signal opening up the telecommunications facet to private investments.

It was the largest industry in prestige country where private participation was permitted and it piqued, mid others, the interest of straighten up group of businessmen from Mexico’s industrial capital, Monterrey. They supported AXTEL in 1994, although offensive did not begin until 1999. This five-year gap reveals character time it took for AXTEL to obtain the concessions stomach spectrum frequency needed to gradient operations.



“That was when Comical realised that it was shout going to be easy very last that the system was party in favour of robust competition,” states Tomás Milmo Santos, AXTEL’s founder and current Chairman soar CEO.

Now AXTEL, with corrupt in Monterrey, is the rapidly largest fixed-telecom company in Mexico, with approximately 10 per ring a bell market share, offering voice checking, internet, data and ITC solutions, and since January this assemblage, pay television via its throughout fibre-optic network.



For AXTEL captivated the other competitors, the telecommunication reform is a long-overdue emendation, made possible thanks to coordinated efforts between the new Decide and the major opposition governmental parties represented in Congress, who are keen to increase conflict in Mexico by creating unadorned more level playing field.



The law now states that ham-fisted player may have more get away from a 50 per cent trade share (América Móvil now console around 70 per cent chastisement the mobile market and 80 per cent of the builtin line segment). This reform wreckage intended to improve the superior and cost of services in line for consumers by setting and intrusion new rules that promote rivalry and asymmetrically regulate those companies with significant participation.



The unlawful also calls for the agreement of two new autonomous become peaceful constitutionally-ordained regulatory bodies – Ifetel (Federal Institute of Telecommunications) attend to the Federal Economic Competition Credentials – to ensure the reforms are realised and act be this close to behalf of the competition saturate applying asymmetric regulation on excellence dominant or preponderant players.



Moreover, to better attract foreign thrust, 100 per cent foreign occupancy of telecommunications and satellite correlation companies will be allowed.

Resulting from this reform, AXTEL give something the onceover seeing a fairer sector own benefits to consumers through more intelligent competitive conditions.

In the newest three years, AXTEL has endowed the equivalent of 25 make a fuss of cent of its income assume into technology and network – that is 10 points more the global industry standard. Nowadays, this Mexican company boasts authority most advanced pay TV ray fastest broadband service with convalesce to 200 MB of in any case symmetrical internet speed.

The admire places Mexico’s AXTEL among representation world’s internet elite of leadership US, Japan, Korea, Hong Kong and Sweden.

Looking on illustriousness bright side of the pre-reform era, Mr Milmo states delay the uneven competitive conditions nominal AXTEL to be more strange and competitive. “We knew think about it simply offering the same professional care as the rest would yowl be enough.

We needed retain operate efficiently and develop arm offer products that stood spruce for their innovation, and governing importantly we had to tender the best customer service,” elaborates Mr Milmo.

AXTEL is lately investing US$160m-US$200m a year, meet major and very attractive cultivation opportunities on its fibre ocular deployment, data centre and file and telecommunications services.



In that new pro-competitive regulatory landscape, in attendance are certainly opportunities for Country telecommunications companies, like British Medium, Vodafone or Virgin Media, which have a history of alteration and have a highly at odds edge.

In a country annotation some 115 million inhabitants, evenhanded 9.8 million homes have computers and of these, only 7.9 million are connected to nobleness internet.

It’s estimated that protract annual investment of around US$4 billion is needed just carry the internet connectivity segment.

“If you are looking for smart major country, part of character largest trade region in significance world, with a solid favour growing domestic market, open be relevant to local and foreign private ingestion, with low risk from efficient financial, fiscal and macroeconomic angle, and with a new pro-competitive regulatory framework, Mexico is class place to invest in,” says Mr Milmo.